Coating-machine.



W. H. SCOTT.

COATING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19. 1916.

1,299,388. Patented Apr. 1,1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WITNESSES 'I y/M By IN V EN TOR.

MfW

A TTORNE YS.

W. H. SCOTT.

COATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE :9, l9l6.

Patented Apr. 1,1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET Z INVENTOR. MM/zfiUw/Z Mw/fiad ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES ,z d

W. H. SCOTT.

COATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19. I916.

Patented Apr. 1,1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 IN VEN TOR.

WITNESSES XQW A TTORNE YS.

W. H. SCOTT.

COATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19. 1916.

1,299,388. Patented Apr. 1,1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WITNESSES I N N T R.

A TTORNE YS.

nee ran onion.

WILLIlIAM' H. SCOTT, 0F HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 IERST WAXED PAPER-MILLS OF HOLYOKJE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACSETTS.

COATING-MACH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 19,1916. Serial .tIo. 104,409.

following is a specification.

This invention relates to coating machines and more particularly to machines for coating paper with wax or other coating material. i

In the general process of coating paper with wax, the web of paper is passed through a trough filled with heated wax; the coating there received is subsequently rubbed into the paper and polished, while still in a liquid condition; the olished coating of wax is thereafter set by immersing the web in a water trough; and finally the water adhering to the wax surface is removed.

An obj ect of this invention is to provide, in a machine of the class described, an improved arrangement for removing the water from the waxed surface of the web, which comprises, guiding means to lead the web vertically upward from the water trough, whereby the water adhering to each side of the web may roll downwardly by gravity, and devices adjacent the web at a certain point in its vertical travel to prevent the passage beyond that point of the small quantities of water which still adhere to the web.

Another object of. the invention is to pro-" or at a right angle to the travel of thepaper, the operation of which devices is particularly characterized by a doctor action to prevent'the water adhering to the web from passing beyond the air blast beyond, as distingui'shed from a blowing action "on the web to forcibly efiect the removal of the wager therefrom as by blowing it 0d the We Another object of the invention is to provide, in a machine of the class described, an

improved flexible arrangement of the fin ishing devices, which is especially characterized in that, aside from the nornrlal coat ing action involving the wax and water application, the devices may be quickly shifted to apply a dry wax coating without using a water trough or a one side wax coating to the web without passing the web through either the Wax or water troughs.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a wax coating machine an improved 'means of heating the brushing rolls,

wherein radiation, as distinguished from conduction is employed, which permits improved results in close temperature regulation.

A further objectof the invention is to provide in a wax coating machine dual wind ing and unwinding devices for the web to be coated, which are arranged, not only to permit a new web to be started into the ma chine in a minimum amount of time after the first web has been finished, but to permit the eficient operation of the machine when narrow rolls are used by simultaneously passing two narrow webs side by side through the machine.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the detailed description to follow and in the annexed claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, as illustrative of one preferred manner in which the invention may be practised- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the complete machine;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a detail view showing a reversing Patented Apr. ll, 9119.

mechanism for certain of the finishing rolls;

, tive of the air doctor arrangement;

Fig. 6 is a partial sectional plan view showing a detail of Fig. 5;

Fig. 'i is an end elevation of the dual winding machine; Fig. 8 is a partial sectional view showing in detail the clutch used in the winding mechanism; and A Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation of the rear part of the'machine showing a modification.

Referring to these drawings in detail and particularly to' Fig. 2, A represents two spaced side frames from and between which thevarious rolls and devices are supported. At one end of the machine and on each frame A, a pair of adjustable bearings 1 (Fig. 1) are provided to removably support arbors 2, upon which rolls of paper to be coacted may be placed. A web 3, taken from a roll on either arbor '2, first passes to the finishing rolls. web passes to a series of ably of brass,

the hand wheel and zontally adjustable by Fig. 1. This pair of screw as best shown in rollsserve to tension and smooth out any wrinkles in the web 3. The latter then passes downwardly under an idle roll 6, which is mounted on frames 7 vertically movable by means of a threaded rod 8 and intermeshing spiral gears 9, when a hand wheel 10 is turned. The roll 6 normally is submerged in a trough 11 filled with melted wax, paraflin, or the like, which may be heated to the desired temperature by steam passing through coils 13. Obviously, by raising or lowering roll 6, the travel of web 3 through trough 11 may be shortened or lengthened, as desired, to control the thickness of the coating of wax applied to the web. If desired, the roll 6 may be raised entirely out of the trough 11, so that the web is not coated therein, for a reason which will later appear.

From the wax trough 11, the web passes upwardly over a brushing roll 14, preferwhich is vertically adjustable by means of a hand wheel 15, intermeshing spiral gears 16, and a threaded rod 17 in an obvious manner. This roll is heated by improved means to be described and acts to keep the wax on web 3 at the proper temperature during its transit from the trough From roll 14, the three stacked rolls, and normally between the lower and intermediate roll as illustrated, although it may be passed through the stack in different ways to effect various results in coating as will later appear. The upper and lower rolls 18 and 19 are adapted to be heated either by steam or'hot water in a well known manner. The intermediate roll 20 is preferably a solid roll and is adapted to be forced against roll 20 by means to be described. The coaction of rolls 19 and 20 7 serves to force the wax into web 3' and pre vent surplus wax from passing along with the web. After the web leaves rolls 19 and 20. 1t passes over a relatively large roll 21 wh1ch may be heated, as are rolls 19 and 20, or in certain operations it may be cooled by water as will later appear.

he web in leaving roll 21 passes vertically downward between two small "rolls 22 and 23, preferably of brass and highly polshed, which are heated by improved means to be described, as is the roll 14. Each of these rolls is horizontally movable in its bearings by the screws shown in Fig. 1 and are preferably arranged to just brush the webwith a slight lateral pressure. These rolls are driven by means to be described in the direction of travel of web 3 at a peripheral speed somewhat in excess of the sur- I face speed of the web to obtain a brushing memes action, whereby the coated surface inay be polished. llt is not essential that rolls 22 f and 23 travel with the web, and they may as well be driven in the opposite direction for the only prerequisite for their efl'ective action is that there be a relative difierence in speed to obtain a brushing action. From the brushing rolls, the web passes downwardly into a trough 24 filled with cold water to two spaced idler rolls 25, which are rotatably mounted in frames 26. The latter are vertically movable on suitable standards by a hand wheel 27, intermeshing spiral gears 28, and threaded rods 29, in anobvious manner. It is to be understood that the hand wheels 28, shown as applied on each side of the machine, are rigidly connected together to effect an equal and simultaneous movement of each frame 26, and the Wheels 10, 15, and 18, already described, are.

arranged in an analogous manner.

The web 3 in leaving the water trough 25 passes vertically upward to a roll 30 and durlng this travel the larger part of the water adhering to the waxed surface of the Web falls from each side thereof by gravity. As a matter of practice, the only water clinging to the paper after it has traversed the major 39 is in the form of small drops and these drops, if prevented from passing beyond a predetermined point, will be joined by other small drops to form larger drops. When the drops accumulate into a suflicient mass to break the force due to surface tension, they will roll downwardly. To prevent the passage of the small drops, a tube 31 is applied on each side and closely adjacent web 3 at a distance slightly below roll 30. These tubes are supplied with air from pipes 32, one on either side of the machine, and extend between the tubes entirely across web 3. As shown in Fig. 6, each tube 31 is rotat'ably mounted on a thimble 33 integral with pipe 32 so that the tubes may be turned at any angle desired. Narrow slots 34, which extend substantially the entire length of the tubes, are formed therein as outlets for the .air. The preferred method is to so turn tubes 31 that the air from outlets 34 is directed substantially at right angles to the travel of web 3,; as bestshown in Fig. 5. These blasts .of air donot, in this. position, blow the water from the paper but act as a barrier to the passage of the drops of water. They. may be, therefore, considered as air doctors and actin an analogous manner to the well known doctors used in the paper making art, which bear against and scrape a roll. Although the preferable method is to direct the blast from tubes 31 and 37 at fright angles to the Web, the tubes may, if

desired, be turned to direct the blast therefrom either against or with the travel of the web. From roll-30, the web travels to a roll portion of the distance to roll neeaaae to close ofi' the supply from tubes 37 when desired. The web 3 passes from roll 36 or,

if desired, directly from roll 35 to a horizontally adjustable roll 40 and thence over either of a pair of winding arbors 42 which rolls and arbors are rotatably mounted in spaced side frames B.

The mechanism for winding the web on either arbor 42 will now be described with particular reference to Figs. 7 and 8. Each arbor 42 has a squared end 45 adapted to be connected by a coupling member 46 to a squared end 47 on a short shaft 48. The

coupling is freely slidable on the portion 47 and may be moved manually thereon by any suitable tool, which may be placed in the circumferential grooves shown. Loose on shafts 48 are gears 49 and slidably keyed to the shafts ad acent gears 49 are clutch elements 50 adapted to engage one face of the gears. The elements 50 may be forced into or out of engagement with gears 49 by hand I wheels 51 and threaded rods-52 in an obvious manner. Each gear 49 is driven through a pinion 55 from a single gear 56 (Fig. 1), the shaft of which is in turn driven by a pulley 57. The latter is driven by a belt 58 from the main driving shaft 59 of the machine,

. and the belt is preferably loose and arranged to slip on its pulleys as the paper'builds up on arbor 49. An adjustably mounted idler 60 permits regulation of the tension of belt 58 in an obvious manner.

The shaft 59 also drives by a' sprocket' chain 63 theroll 21 and'the latter drives by a chain' 64 the roll 30. The latter and rolls 35 and 26 are connected by a chain 65 so that all are positively driven. An adjustable idler sprocket 66 serves to tighten chain 65 when desired. Fixed to the shaft of roll 35 .is a grooved pulley 67 which drives by belts 68 and 69 (the latter being crossed or vice versa as desired) the brushing rolls 22 and 23, respectively. The main shaft 59 also bears a pinion 70 (Fig. 3) and in mesh therewith is a pinion 71 mounted on a radius arm 72 loose on shaft 59. Also mounted on arm 72 and in mesh with pinion 71 is a pinion 73. Normally pinion 70 drives through pinion 71 a gear 74 which is fastened to and drives the lower roll 19.0f the stack in the direction indicated in Fig. 2, and the latter drives roll 20 through frictional contact.- 7 However, as will be described, it is sometimes desirable to drive roll 19 in the opposite direction and then the arm 72 may be swung to throw pinion 71 out of and pinion 73 into mesh with gear 74 so that the direction of the latter may be quickly reversed, when desired.

The rolls 18, 19,. and20 are slidably mounted in suitable frames after the fashion of ed member in engagement with the boxes for rolls 18 and 20, respectively. Obviously, by turning this jack the rolls 18 and 20 may be separated as shown in the'drawings. "When so separated, the pressure applied to roll 18 is communicated through jacks 7 9 to roll 20 and, when it is desired to lift the latter slightly from roll 19, the movement of roll 18 lifts roll 20 by means of a pivoted hook on each side engaging the latter. I

The improved means of heating the rolls 14, 22, and 23 will now be-described and reference is made to Fig. 4. The roll is preferably a pipe or tube provided at each end with collars 83 threaded thereon. Where the roll is driven, as are rolls 22 and 23, the sprocket is fastened to the collar, as shown. The arbor for the roll is a pipe 84, which extends entirely through the roll and is adapted to have steam passed therethrough. The collars 83 rotate freely on collars 85 threaded upon pipe 84, and thecollars are held axially in position by check nuts 86. Heretofore, steam has been passed directly to the interior of the heating roll used in this type of machine and, until it condensed, was not removed. It has been found that, with direct heating, small rolls often become overheated and, since they are always filled with steam under pressure, the tendency is naturally for the temperature to increase. With tion is improved, and it has been found in practice tobe an especially advantageous means for heating for thesmall rolls.

A modification ofthe means, for removing the water from web 3, is illustratedin Fig. 2 but is best shown in Fig. 9 to wh1ch particular reference will be made. The web leaves bath 24 in a vertical direction as before and passes upwardly to and over roll 30. Roll 35 is, however, preferably omitted, and the Web 3 passes from roll 30 directly to roll 36 and thence to roll 40 and the winding mechanism. Rolls 30 and 36 are in this modification preferably arranged at difii'crent heights so that the web is inclined in the direction of its travel, as clearly shown in Fig. 9. Intermediate the vertical travel of Web 3 from roll .25 to roll 30 is an agitator 90 which is rotatably supported from frame A. and may be driven by any suitable means, such as the belt 98, for .example. The agitator has a plurality of blades 91 which extend entirely across web 3 and are arranged periodically to strike the latter. An idler92 is preferably arranged below the line of contact of blades 91 with the web and steadies the latter against the slight blow from the blades. The web 3 is thus vibrated just sufficiently to shake off the drops of water thereon which are carried upwardly by adhesion from the water bath 24. The agitator 90 removes the major portion of the water from the web by its shaking action and all that remains is in the form of a fine film. The surface of the web after it has passed the agitator is, in fact, merely damp, and this dampness or fine film of moisture is removed during the inclined upper travel of the web between rolls 30 and 36, by means now to be described. The spaced pipes 32, heretofore described, each have depending therefrom vertical pipes9 l and 95 and mounted be tween the pairs of pipes 94 and 95 are tubes 96 and 97, respectively, which are similar in every respect to the tubes 31 formerly described in detail. above and adjacent web 3 and are preferably so turned that the blast from the out'-. lets thereof is directed against the travel of web 3, as shown in Fig. 9. They may, how- 'ever, on account of their adjustable mounting be turned to direct the blast at any other desired angle. The function of the blasts of air from tubes 96 and 9'? is to remove the moisture remaining as a fine film upon the web by a process of evaporation as distinguished from a removal by blowing.

Agitator 90 may be used without the air doctors, as just described or, if desired, it may be interposed between the doctors 31 and roll 25 as shown in Fig. 2. llt may also be dispensed with in the modification shown in Fig. 9, and the removal of all the water may be left to the blasts from tubes 96 and 97. In event the agitator 90 is not desired, all that is necessary to render it inoperative is to slip off its driving belt 98 and turn the agitator so that none of the blades 91 contact with web 3. r

The preferred operation of the machine will now be described. A. web. 3 taken from a roll on either arbor 2 or, Where narrow rolls of paper are used, a web from rolls on both arbors (to utilize eiiiciently the entire width of the machine) is first tensioned and straightened by rolls 4 and 5. (The desired thickness of wax is then placed on the web by submerging it to the required depth in trough 11. The coating is then rubbed into the Web by the coaction of rolls 19 and20 and all excess wax repelled. The roll 14 serves to keep the temperature of the wax coating constant during the travel of the web from trough 11 to rolls 19 and '20 and.

after leaving the latter, roll 21 acts in an analogous manner to maintain the tempera- These tubes are arranged tubes 37 or past agitator 90 and tubes 96 and 91 and is thereafter wound up on arbors 42. The vertical passage of web 3 from trough 2 1 permits nearly all the water to roll downwardly into the trough, and the doctors 31 or agitator 90. prevent any small drops which rise that distance to pass farther, as already described. A particularly advantageous feature lies in the arrangement whereby the web 3 enters and leaves the water vertically, whereby each side of the web is uniformly and simultaneously acted upon as distinguished from an inclined passage of the web wherein the web is not equally afiected on both sides and the re-' sultant finish difiers accordingly.

While the former is one preferred method of operation, the machine is adapted for other operations which will now be briefly described. The roll 18 may be lowered into engagement with roll 20 and the web, after passingthrough rolls 19 and 20, may be carried partially around the latter and passed between rolls 18 and 20. Un leaving a circulation of water, and the frame 26 would also be raised to remove the Web from the water trough 24. The web is by this method subjected to an extra heating and a so-called drywax finish is imparted to the paper. a

With rolls 18, 19, and 20. all in contact a third operation may be used whereby a one side wax finish may be applied.- Tn this operation. the web is. passed between rolls 18 and 20 and thence to roll 21 which is cooled as just described. The water bath is not used in this operation, and the frame 7 is also raised so that the web does not/pass through wax trough 11. The wax is carried by roll 19 to roll 20, which deposits it on one side of the web. In this operation, the roll 21 is preferably cooled so that the coating immediately sets.

It has not been thought necessary to describe in detail the specific manner of mounting the various rolls nor the connections whereby the rolls are supplied with steam and hot or cold water as these devices are well known and generally well understood by those skilled'in the art.

It is recognized that modifications may be made in the structure herein described for illustrative purposes without departing from the scope of theinvention which is defined naeaeee by the appended claims' rather than by the foregoing description of one preferred embodiment.

finished coating, guiding means arranged to carry the web vertically upward from the water bath, and devices to prevent the passage of globules of water with the web beyond a predetermined point in its vertical travel, all constructed and arranged so that the ater adhering to each side of the web may fall therefrom by gravity.

2. In a coating machine having means to coat a web of paper with heated wax or the like, means to finish said coating and a water bath to harden the finished coating as the web passes therethrough, guiding means to lead the web vertically upward from the water bath arranged so that the water adhering to the web may roll" downwardly therefrom, and devices adjacent each side of the web at a predetermined point in its ver tical travel to direct a blast of air thereon,

said'devices being characterized by a doctor action on the web to prevent the drops of water with the webJ 3. Acoating machine, comprising, in combination, means to coat a web of paper with melted wax or the like, means to finish said coating, a'water bath arranged to harden the finished coating, guiding devices to lead the web'vertically downward from said finishpassage of ing means into and through the water whereby each side of the web is equally and simultaneously acted upon, other guiding devices to lead the web vertically upward out of the water bath, whereby the water adhering to the web may roll therefrom by gravity, and means adjacent the web at a point in its vertical travel to prevent the travel of drops of water with the. web beyond a predetermined point. g

4. A coating machine, comprising, in combination, means to coat a web of paper with melted wax or the like, devices to finish and polish said coating, a water bath to harden the polished coating, guiding means to lead the web from said devices vertically down-- wardly into and through said bath, whereby each side ofthe web s equally and simultaneouslyacted upon, guiding means to carry theweb vertically upward from said bath,

' whereby the water adhering to the Web may roll therefrom, and devices adjacent each side of the web at a predetermined point in its vertical travel to direct ablast of air thereon, said last-named devices arranged to prevent the assage of small drops of water with the we other guiding means to lead the web downwardly and again vertically upward and other devices adjacent each side of the web at a point inv its vertical travel to direct a blast of air thereon to dry the web.

5. A coating machine, comprising, in combination, means to coat a web of paper with hold back small drops of water and prevent their passage with the web.

6. In a coating machine, having means to surface coat a web of paper with melted wax or the like and means to cool and harden the coating, mechanism intermediate said means arranged to impregnate the surface coating into the web, comprising a series of rolls stacked one above another in contiguous relation, alternate rolls of the series adapted to be heated, adjustable devices to apply pressure to said rolls arranged so that two or more of the rolls may be forced into contact as desired and means to drive said rolls, all

constructed and arranged so that the web may be passed between two or more rolls of said serles to impart variousfinishesto the web, substantially as described.

7. In a coating machine having means to coat a web of paper with heated wax or the like, means to finish and polish said coating and a water bath arranged to harden the finished coating, guiding means to carry the Web vertically upward from the water bath, and a device arranged adjacent the vertical travel of the-web to periodically vibrate the latter, whereby the water adhering to the web ma be shaken therefrom and fall into said bath.

8. In a coating machine having means to coat a web of paper with heated wax or the like, means to finish and polish said coating and a water bath arranged to harden the finished coating, guidin means to carry the web vertically upwar from the water bath, a device arranged adj acent the' vertical travel of the web to periodically vibrate the latter, whereby dro s of water adherin to the web may be sha en therefrom an prevented from passing beyond a predetermined point in the vertical travel of the web, and a plurality of devices located beyond said point and arranged to direct blasts of air on said web whereby any moisture remaining there- 7 mamas inoperative, and adjustable guiding devices 10 to lead a web to said-rolls, all constructed and arranged so that oneor more of the rolls of said series may be driven in either direction as desired and so that a coated Web may -be passed in various ways between and 15 around said rolls to impart various finishes to the web.

. H. SCOTT. 

